Media Relations Director

Position Description

About the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis

The Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis serves Harris County, the largest county in Texas and the third largest in the United States. In a fast-moving policy environment, our decisions shape statewide and national conversations on democracy, justice, health, climate resilience, and economic dignity.

Commissioner Rodney Ellis is a nationally respected leader with a decades-long record of advancing civil rights, justice, and equity in Texas. Alongside a strategic leadership team, an expert policy division, and a community affairs team with deep ties across the county, we’re building one of the most sophisticated and values-driven communications shops in local government.

Our communications operation integrates narrative, press, digital, and creative into a unified engine that meets the moment, moves public organizing, and delivers results for the people we serve. We hold high standards and provide high support, offering candid feedback, teamwork without ego, strategic thinking, calm decision-making, and a shared commitment to human dignity and public service.

If you want to do work that leaves a mark—on your career, on this country, and on issues that shape our future—you belong here. We recruit nationally; relocation to Houston is required.

Why Harris County

Harris County is the third-largest county in the United States and one of the most diverse communities in the nation. What happens here often shapes statewide and national conversations—from voting rights and public health to climate resilience and economic justice. Serving Harris County means working at scale, under real scrutiny, with real consequences for millions of residents. The Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis operates at the intersection of policy, community, and national relevance—offering communications professionals an opportunity to do serious, values-driven public service work that travels far beyond local headlines.

As Media Relations Director, you lead the Office of Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ earned media engine—turning narrative strategy into coverage across local, state, and national outlets in a media market whose stories routinely travel nationwide. You set earned-media strategy for the office and serve as the senior advisor on press posture, risk, and coverage decisions.

You design and run the coverage plan: beats, target outlets, editorial boards, validators, and moments that matter. You negotiate high-impact exclusives and embargoes, steer rapid response, and set the posture for risk and crisis response. You own relationships with key reporters and editors, build Spanish-language placements with translation services and community outlets, and keep gaggles, briefings, and press operations tight.

You manage and coach the Press Secretary and Community Media Manager, setting strategy and handling high-stakes negotiations, while the Press Secretary and Community Media Manager execute day-to-day pitching, embargo logistics, and first-wave distribution. You advise senior leadership and partner closely with Narrative Strategy, Digital, and Creative leadership so every press moment is synchronized with web, email, social, and supporting assets.

In a typical week, you might prepare the Commissioner for an editorial board interview, place an exclusive that shapes next-day coverage, run a rapid response briefing within the hour of a court ruling, and close the week by sharing what to scale next.

This role is ideal for a seasoned media leader who combines sharp news judgment, calm execution under pressure, and the ability to move complex stories into the public arena with clarity and impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Media strategy leadership:
• Build the annual earned-media plan aligned with the priorities of the office, the narrative plan, and policy calendar.
• Define target outlets, key beats, editorial-board goals, validators, and a forward-looking moments calendar.
• Set clear goals for framing, reach, and impact.
• Coverage planning & placement:
• Plan and place stories with smart sequencing—exclusives and embargoes—line up validators and surrogates and keep an editorial-board roadmap to land our “why” and “how” in top outlets.
• Rapid response:
• Lead rapid response—define triggers, agree on a message with the Director of Narrative Strategy, the Communications Director, and the leadership team; keep pre-approved language current; and meet speed targets.
• Risk & crisis communications:
• Set crisis posture and holding lines; coordinate legal/policy review; monitor and counter rumors and misinformation.
• Team management & coaching:
• Manage and coach the Press Secretary and Community Media Manager—set objectives, run 1:1s, review copy, and develop talent.
• Coordinate Spanish-language work with County translation services or trusted partners.
• Reporter and editor relationships:
• Own and deepen relationships with key reporters and editors across local, state, and national outlets; schedule desk visits, background briefings, and media mixers.
• Maintain a reputation for credibility, speed, and accuracy.
• Integrated launches:
• Co-lead launch plans with Narrative, Digital, and Creative teams so press coverage is in sync with other communication channels.
• Spokesperson preparation:
• Oversee media prep for the Commissioner and principals including briefing materials, key lines, Q&A, pivots, and interview preparation.
• Equity, language, and access:
• Ensure culturally relevant framing; secure multilingual placements.
• Measurement & learning:
• Partner with the Digital Director, track how often our framing appears in coverage, placement quality, and audience reach.
• Publish a monthly “what worked / scale–pause–adjust” note; refresh the priority topics and targets quarterly.
• Standards & systems:
• Maintain media policies and press playbooks (background and attribution norms, exclusives, response-time expectations); keep press lists current and segmented; set media-mix targets
• Ensure press operations run smoothly.
  
  
  

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx

If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email ADACoordinator@bmd.hctx.net .

This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Requirements

Education:

• Bachelor’s or graduate degree in Public Affairs, Communications, Journalism, or English is preferred but not required.
• Equivalent work experience or certifications may also be considered.
  
  

Experience:

• 7–10+ years in media relations, journalism, or strategic communications (or equivalent mix of newsroom and comms experience).
• Proven record shaping coverage across local, state, and national outlets—examples of exclusives/embargoes, editorial boards, and placements that carried your framing.
• Experience managing a press bench and running complex launch plans end-to-end.
  
  
  

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Exceptional news judgment under pressure; able to craft first lines quickly, escalate appropriately, and steer crisis communications.
• Excellent writing and editing for press materials; skilled at briefing principals and coaching spokespeople (Q&A, pivots, interview prep).
• Deep relationships with key reporters/editors and the ability to build new ones quickly, including community and Spanish-language outlets.
• Strong collaborator with narrative, digital, and creative partners to sync press with web/email, social, and assets.
• Demonstrated experience leading or shaping strategic communications on issues of equity and justice, particularly those affecting communities of color, with attention to credibility, cultural relevance, and public trust.
• Commitment to equity, plain language, accessibility, and Spanish-language parity
  
  
  

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications .

Preferences

• Spanish proficiency a plus.
• Familiarity with the Texas or Houston media landscape is a plus but not required.
  
  
  

General Information

This is a full-time position offering a competitive yearly salary commensurate with experience; comprehensive benefits, including relocation assistance; and opportunities for professional growth. Some evenings and weekends are required.